Lectures 12 to 13

(Chapters 23)

Analyses of Unsignalized
Intersections

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Types of Unsignalized Intersections
Uncontrolled
Stop Sign Controlled
TWSC
AWSC
Yield Sign Controlled
Roundabout

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 TWSC Intersections
Priority movements

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Gap Acceptance
Critical gap, tc
Minimum gap in the major stream that a minor street driver can accept
Cannot be measured directly in the field
Drivers behave differently
Follow-up time, tf
Minimum headway between two consecutive vehicles in the minor stream
Can be measured directly in the field

Veh1 Veh2
tf

tmv

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 tc and tf
tcb, sec
Movement Two-lane Four-lane tfb, sec
Major Street Major Street

Major LT 4.1 4.1 2.2

Minor RT 6.2 6.9 3.3
Minor TH 6.5 6.5 4.0
Minor LT 7.1 7.5 3.5

tc tcb tcHV PHV tcG G tcT t3 LT

t f t fb t fHV PHV

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Adjustments on tc and tf
Adjustment Values
tcHV 1.0, Two-lane major street
2.0, Four-lane major street
tcG 0.1, Movements 9 and 12
0.2, Movements 7, 8, 10 and 11
1.0, Otherwise
tcT 1.0, With two stage process
0.0, With single stage process
t3LT 0.7, Minor-street LT at T-intersection
0.0, Otherwise
tfHV 0.9, Two-lane major street
1.0, Four-lane major street

tc tcb tcHV PHV tcG G tcT t3 LT

t f t fb t fHV PHV

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Capacity
Conflicting volume, vcx
Figure 23.3 (page 670)

Potential capacity, cpx

e ( vcxtcx / 3600 )
c px vcx ( vcx t fx / 3600 )
1 e
Movement capacity, cmx
cmx f x c px
f 7 p0 , 4 p p , 7 For minor street LT at T intersection

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Delay and LOS
3600 v x
( )( )
3600 v v c cmx
dx 900T ( x 1) ( x 1) 2 mx 5
cmx cmx cmx 450T

LOS Average Control Delay,

sec/veh

A 0-10 (0-10)
B >10-15 (10-20)
C >15-25 (20-35)
D >25-35 (35-55)
E >35-50 (55-80)
F >50 (>80)

* (xx ) for signalized intersections

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Exercise
Using HCS to solve the sample problem given. After the model is set up, try to answer the
following questions.

1. Can you duplicate the results given in the example?

2. How many minor movements are involved in the example?
3. Which minor movements have the same potential capacity and movement capacity, i.e.,
which minor movements are not impeded by higher priority minor movements?
4. What is the basic critical gap and final critical gap for the minor street LT movement?
5. What is the conflicting flow rate for minor street LT movement? Verify the result manually.
6. What is the probability of major street LT movement not blocking the minor street LT
movement (i.e., probability of queue free for major street LT movement)?
7. what is the impedance factor for minor street LT movement? How is this factor used for the
calculation?
8. What are the movement capacities for the minor street LT and RT movements?
9. What is the capacity for the minor street approach (shared LT and RT lane)
10. What is the control delay for the minor street approach?

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Complexities

* Upstream Signal Effect

Two-stage crossing

Flared approach

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Roundabout
Roundabout is a special type of traffic circle
Major differences between roundabout and traffic circle
Speed
Traffic control
Priority of circulating traffic
Design vehicle
Pedestrian access
Parking
Direction of circulation
Types of roundabout
Mini
Urban: compact, single-lane, double-lane
Rural: single-lane, double-lane

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Roundabout Design Elements
Inscribed
circle
diameter

Exit width

Entry width

Splitter island width

Circulatory roadway width

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
 Roundabout Operations - HCM
Roundabouts introduced in 1997 HCM
Method unchanged in HCM 2000
Uses analytical method
Only estimates capacity; no guidance on delay or level of service
Measured in PCE

e ( vctc / 3600)
ca vc ( vc t f / 3600 )
1 e

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 FHWA Method
Consideration of vehicle types (cars, trucks, motorcycles)
Empirical regression model
Delay and LOS

vc

va

http://www.tfhrc.gov/safety/00068.pdf

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 FHWA Method vs. HCM

FHWA

HCM

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Steps to Calculate Roundabout Volumes

Turning Roundabout
movements volumes

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Steps

Step 1: Convert trucks and other vehicle types to passenger car

equivalents (pce)
Step 2: PHF volume adjustment
Step 3: Entry volume
Step 4: Exit volume
Step 5: Circulating volume

Passenger Car
Vehicle Type Equivalent (pce)
Car 1.0
Single-unit truck or bus 1.5
Truck with trailer 2.0
Bicycle or motorcycle 0.5

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Entry Volume
Entry volume = sum of entering turning movements

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Exit Volume
Exit volume = sum of turning movements as shown

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Circulating Volume
Circulating volume = sum of turning movements as shown

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Example: Volume Conversion

Turning Roundabout
movements volumes

PHF = 0.94 East/west:

2% SU trucks/
530
120
70

buses

50

?
240
110 100
350
140
90
410
80

North/south:
4% SU trucks/buses, 2%
combo trucks
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
 Example Step 1: PCE Calculation
SB TH: 530 veh (4% SU/bus, 2% combo)
% cars (0.94) 1.0 pce/veh = 0.94
% SU/bus (0.04) 1.5 pce/veh = 0.06
% combo (0.02) 2.0 pce/veh = 0.04

fhv = 1.04
530 veh
Passenger Car 551 pce
Vehicle Type Equivalent (pce)
Car 1.0
Single-unit truck or bus 1.5
Truck with trailer 2.0
Bicycle or motorcycle 0.5

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Example Step 1: Completed PCE
Calculation

Raw Counts PCEs

530
120

551
125
70

73
50 51
240 242
110 100 111 101
350 354
140 141
90
410

426
94
80

83
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
 Example Step 2: PHF Factor

PCEs (peak 15
PCEs (hourly)
minutes)
551
125

133
586
73

78
51 54
242 258
111 101 118 107
354 377
141 150

454
426
94

100
83

88
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
141 / 0.94 = 150
 Example Step 3: Calculate Entry
Volume
Entry volume = sum of entering turning movements

797
133
586

?
78

?
54 ?
419

?
258
118 107 645

?
377 ?
150 ?
100
454
88

642
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
Example Step 4: Calculate Exit Volume
Exit volume = sum of turning movements as shown

797
133
586

62
78

6
?
54 424
419

?
258
118 107 645

?
377 0
150 61
?

84
100
454
88

642
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
 Example Step 5: Calculate Circulating
Volume
Circulating volume = sum of turning movements as shown

797
133
586

62
78

6
453
424

826
54
258 419
118 107 645

660
377 0
150 61
628

84
100
454
88

642
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
 Example: Solution

Turning Roundabout
movements volumes

797
PHF = 0.94 East/west:
2% SU trucks/
530
120

62
70

buses

6
453
424

826
50
240 419
110 100 645

660
350 0
140 61
628

84
90
410
80

3
North/south:

642
4% SU trucks/buses, 2%
combo trucks
CEE 495.001 Spring 2005
 Example: Capacity Calculation

Roundabout Roundabout
volumes 797 category?
62
6

453
424
826

?
419
645
660

0
61
628
84
3

642

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Example: Capacity Calculation

424 826
Check capacity
645 of each entry

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Example: Capacity check
1400
Maximum Entry Flow (veh/h)

1200

1000
Entering and circulating
flow = 1800 veh/h
800 762

600
607

U Lan
rb e
an R
400

& ou
Ru nd
Ur
b

ra ab
Ro an

l S ou
un Co

in t s
200 da m

gl
bo pa

e-
u t ct
s
0
0 400 800 826 1200 1600 2000 2400
Circulatory Flow (veh/h)

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Example: Capacity Check
Entering volume = 645 pce/h
Capacity of entry:
Single-lane: 762 pce/h
Urban compact: 607 pce/h
What to do
Volume-to-capacity ratio:
when v/c >1.0?
Single-lane: 645 / 762 = 0.85 AT
Urban compact: 645 / 607 = 1.06 OVER
What to do when v/c >1.0?
Repeat calculation for other approaches

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Solution: Capacity Calculation

Urban Compact Single-Lane

0.90

0.83
OVER OK
0.57 0.49
1.06 CAPACITY 0.85 (TODAY)

0.74
0.85

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005

 Delay

Control delay
Includes initial deceleration delay, queue move-up time,
stopped delay, and final acceleration delay
Geometric delay
Delay experienced by a single vehicle with no
conflicting flows
Caused by geometric features
Total delay = Control + Geometric
Typical measure used: control delay

CEE 495.001 Spring 2005